Hi Dennis,
If you want your billet to end up 1.5" wide, then you want the "square" to be 1.5". When it comes to the thickenss, lots of factors come into play....especially the type of pattern, and how the welds run in the billet. Generally when I cut the accordions, I won't go any thinner then 1/4"....that way you have a bit of "wiggle room" in case you have to forge out any tiny splits or tears in the bottoms of the "V"s.
The other aspect is to remember what you're looking for in your pattern....it's gona distort, but the trick is to forge it equally lengthwise and widthwise.
In the end, I find it simplest to make the billet 1/4+" and then grind away until I have the thickness I want/need. It's common in my shop to turn a 1/4" thick mosaic billet into .170" folder stock.....via the surface grinder.
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